I don't really get what happened....I was writing it...and then it disappeared and then post itself complete...strange....it should have said "

I'm going to Europe in January 2008...can anyone recommend some moutains/resorts that I should hit up while I am there? I'll be travelling all over for a few months and really want to enjoy some good skiing while I am there"

Laax is pretty seet for the park (European open held there)
Espace de killys is a sweet resort, nice park and some sweet european pow. Also has a Glacier so season can last pretty long.
3vallees for the size and variety of terrain. Moon Park is pretty sweet.
Chamonix for the freeride side of things.
Le deux alpes and Alpe du heuz for good french parks.
La Clusaz (if you're around march time for the Candide invitational)
St. Anton, Zermatt and Mayrofhen
Then there's the Pyrenes mountain range, never skied there personally but it's got some good skiers being produced there
Then if you get the chance head up to sweden and norway later in the season for better snow conditions.

Thanks for the tips people.....I'm so excited to go!!!!! I'm going to head to bulgaria too....not that the skiing is that great...but tequila is only 50p a shot...yay!!! I need to get all the research done before leaving...since I'll be travelling by myself.

Men if your are going to France ,you must go to avoriaz !!!
why??
Because it's 600km of groomer
because you gone a find the sickest parks,i said"parks" because they're several parks, a little park with a bunch of jib stuff a big park with huge jump and huge jib structure,they're is also a natural park with some sutructure in wood only ,like rail that are 3 meter high and 30m long ....
Avoriaz is pretty much the sickest place for freestyle in france ,plus it is connect to switzerland ,so it's make this area huge with a lot of park ( i think 6 or more).
You should go there.
And i haven't talk about the backcountry who is huge...etc
Watch some european video you will understand...

Rastafarider is right.
3 Vallées is one of the worst places in the alps, and they are claimers, they claim to be the biggest but there are at least 20 resorts in the Alps with more skiable terrain. It's one of the most crowded, most icy, and most flat places in the alps. Avoid.

I'd say read Rastafariders summary, and add that you should not come to Europe for parks. Our parks suck except for maybe Laax and Avoriaz. Just keep an eye on the weather and follow the fresh powder wherever it takes you.

If you absolutely NEED to plan in advance, easiest is to take a map of the Alps with all the ski resorts, then imagine storm cycles to come in from the north west (which 90% of them do), and imagine the storms being blocked by the highest ridges, and everything just north from these ridges are regular powder paradises (a concept called 'alpennordhang'). This will leave you with resorts like Avoriaz, Chamonix, Mürren, Engelberg, St. Anton, etc..

If you come to the pyrenees, you must check out GRANDVALIRA in Andorra, it's a huge resort with 3 cool parks and good powder spots. You can also come visit barcelona since it's 2 hours away from andorra.

seriously though, I've skied in les3vallees for on 5 separate trips of at least a week and my friend grew up in meribel. Don't get me wrong, its not a bad ski area, but he and i agree that for the money you spend on a pass there, you can do so much better in terms of terrain, parks, general vibe, price and most of all... snow elsewhere.

damn, why is everyone so protective of "their" resorts...

and for the thread maker, def. check out bansko in bulgaria, a mate of mine is opening a bar there this winter. its sooo cheap out there and bansko's hike-to terrain is super fun.

Oh and if you go by Deux Alpes, you can stay at the sick and the mental ( www.sickandthementalinn.com ), they speak English in there, and its very cheap. Also very much a party place. Fun people/ good times haha.

"so what your not gunna be 6' who cares im an ugly mother fucker and i get by" -Alkyy
~Brian Hodgson~

I'm not going to plan my exact day-to-day itinerary....but I just want to have a list of good resorts I should hit up before I leave so that on my wanderings I can make sure I make the most of my time.....a friend had mentioned to me her Bulgaria trip, and then I saw it in the movie....and just wanna check it off my to-do list.

Thanks so much everyone....I'm so glad that you're all giving some good info. And if anyone is gonna be bumming around Europe between Jan and July (I might stay longer...I dunno yet) and ya wanna hang out let me know....this flying solo is gonna be pretty new for me.

I've been saving up for a few months, working like crazy, between 70 to 90 hours each week...but will be staying with family and friends in England as a base...then working and travelling my way around...I might even be gone longer if I have to be. Nice thing is since I'm British I have no worries about visas for anywhere at all.

Yo Ill be living in Chamonix from late December through midish February. Ill have some friends visit for a couple weeks but other than that I would be stoooked to have people to ride with. So if you make it around to Chamonix, hit me up because Ill be looking for people to riiip with.

personaly, i wouldnt recomend cham, ive only been once but when i was there its terrible to get around, the buses are always late and when they do come you can hardly get on because of the volume of people. also its pitty expensive.

I'm going to les 2 alpes this winter so i dont know much about it, from what ive read though, it looks amazing for park.

my favourite resort in france has to be la plagne, its just around the corner from val. its got several smaller parks around. its linked to les arcs so you can catch the gondala over there.good powder, really fun resort. i love skiing there, theres loads of french there though, hardly any english or american people.

you called him out on his claim that 3 valleys is mediocre by asking how many times he's skied there, etc. i'm telling you his summary of the area is 100% right on, and before you start asking me how many times i've skied there; i live 20 miles away.

I've heard that to from my friend who went a couple years ago but he also said that it was classic and there were more super long, shit yourself steep, no fall zone runs than he had seen anywhere else he had skied. He told me everyone should ski the valley at least once. But thats all what he said. Ive never skied there.

1. definitely watch the weather, the snow can be fantastic in Austria and crap in France. Pay attention and chase the storms.

2. There are tons of very small areas, some of which, like La Grave (1 main lift) have insane big-mountain terrain. These small places (Zinal) aren't that great for park, but for freeriding, they can be amazing. The bonus is that they tend to be cheaper than some of the larger resorts.

That's it, although you should hit up the large resorts, too, because they're so much more MASSIVE than anything you can experience in North America.

My trip didn't start being a ski-fest but once I got into planning it I realised that since I'm going to be so close to some great ski areas I really should enjoy it all as much I can...and not get stuck into just the UK and beach resorts...so now I'd like to get in as many euro-ski days as possible.

I normally ski Manning...but this year will be the first year I won't get a pass and most likely when I get back from Europe won't get a pass there again...they've jacked up the pass rates but there are no improvements to the mountain at all, the people running the show are super rude to anyone and everyone unless you're specifically part of their little clique. The nice thing is that the mountain is pretty quiet so you can ski all day and not have to deal with the crowds.

People who posted on this thread about knowing people/places to stay and who will be in Europe and skiing there about the same time as me I have added to my friends list...so that I can hunt ya all down when I'm there :) I'ma getting sooo stoked about my trip!! woot woot!

Thanks for the all the tips folks....you NS peeps are the best!! I went into a travel agents but they just try and book you into the most expensive places but I'd prefer to hit some smaller mountains where there are less tourists....I speak French and Italian so I hopefully will be able to get by on my basic language skills!!

word, sounds like such a fun trip and the guys saying go for small resorts are kinda right. but, be carefull small doesn't always= good!

my advice would be: which ever resorts you go to, go into bars, ski shops and wherever else you would expect to find real riders and don't be afraid to ask them about the local spots. thats how you'll get the most out of it.

I live in the Uk and will be in various resorts around the alps in the winter so maybe give me a shout some time and i'll show you around.

OK, then Ski Taters, you need to check out the el cheapo flights from the UK to the mainland. These will go from smaller airports outside of the big cities. It means that transfers (to trains) may be more complex, and you won't fly directly into places like Geneva, but the airfares can be dirt cheap. The UK takes the lead in discounted flights (but you may have to pay extra for skis). Think Ryan Air. Worst service in the world, but the cheapest flights.

If you are renting cars, try Europebycar.com, for the cheapest rentals. Much cheaper than renting via the normal travel sites.

And don't be afraid to upgrade. . .There's something about the autobahn and having the right tool to use it!!!!!

Yes...I really do want to drive the autobahn for sure!!! I LOVE speed!! haha....I'll be living in Bristol (where I am originally from...been in Canada 10 years) when I get back to the UK...the airport there flies to most palaces....and I don't care how bad the service is as long I get to where I want to go.....I'm gonna slap my Canada flag onto my backpack and I'm a pretty open person so I intend to make a lot of friends and find the skiers there that know the way to the good places...its such a great dream to do this....and if anyone sees me be sure to say hi...in face I should get my NS name on my backpack too!! LOL

Sep 23 2007 3:05AM

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